12/05/2016
Port Royal just dropped their EP today. https://m.facebook.com/PortRoyalOfficial/
"Port Royal – The Express
A four-piece band emerging from the rock landscape in Brisbane City, Port Royal have released a fantastic exhibition of their sound with the debut EP, The Express. With punchy, brash guitar, Port Royal have offered a fantastic collection of tunes for a lover of the pure rock and roll sound. For a band that names riff-makers like The White Stripes, Gary Clark Jr, The Black Keys and The Kinks as some of their favourite tune-makers, everything you’d hope to receive in this EP is delivered with energy and aplomb.
Relentless waves of electric guitar spliced playfully with short melodic hooks wash over the you for genuinely addictive listening. Backed up perfectly by the thundering drums that underline every piece, the band’s end goal is to build a truly immersive environment for the average Joe like myself who loves to beat ball-point pens against a desk to lay down a beat.
While a ballad like Elizabeth doesn’t aim to knock you off your feet with wall-shuddering bass (thanks to Chase Brodie) or bone-crunching distorted lead guitar (looking at you Braedon Hall) - but don’t worry, it’s still there - you really get the vibe that each tune is building to something. In many cases, this can come in the form of a guitar solo punched out with gusto, but don’t interpret this as any form of repetitiveness.
Playing the whole EP in one sitting is a gratifying journey with the lead single and super energetic Every Day is a Chance lighting it up straight away. If you expect to be hit with simply more of the same, Elizabeth demands you rethink and experience the softer skills of the band’s songwriting. From there, it seems like the lads of Port Royal couldn’t contain themselves any longer and had to dive headfirst back into a deep and swirling sea of driving riffs and powerful drums in Hey You. My personal favourite, this tune offers everything I love to fill my ear-holes with on a day when nothing but classic rock ‘n’ roll will do.
But more than just a kick up the rear-end to fire you up, these tunes also offer layered vocals that – at times – are bordering on church-choir harmonics that really soften you, straight after head-banging through a crushing guitar solo. The lead singer, Lawson Doyle, varies from gruff and tough rock cries, to soft and soulful howls at times that really surprise. While at times the vocal acrobatics appear to be a stretch for Doyle, the lower register is where he sounds most at home. In Dirty Boy, the back-up vocals (courtesy of drummer Connor Arnold) cry out and add depth to the soundscape. This just makes you want to jump up, find the nearest Port Royal gig and get back to your classic rock roots. Luckily for Brisbane fans, Port Royal will be battling it out in Amped Up’s Battle of the Bands this May Black Friday at the colosseum that is the The Triffid.
Beyond that though, as soon as you listen to any of Port Royal’s work, you can feel just how genuine and natural their sound really is. Heading into any venue where Port Royal is gearing up to go hard on stage, a lover of music has a great chance of seeing these four Brisbane boys going their hardest the same way they were in the studio. Port Royal’s EP not only offers an incredible insight into the talents, drives and desires of a young band emerging amongst a garage rock sunrise, but also refuses to leave listeners thinking that they could get anything less than the dynamic sound that you would expect – nay – demand, from your new favourite independent rock band."
- Charlie Evans
Australian revolutionist Rock & Roll band determined to reignite the fire with passion, honesty and s
